Hierarchy of Beers

Heineken 'Housewarming'
"Beer is fun to work on," says Kevin McKeon, ECD at StrawberryFrog in New York, "but it's challenging not to do the same old laddish humor." Jumping into a worldwide branding assignment for Heineken with creative teams from the agency's New York and Amsterdam offices, McKeon and company were faced with the challenge of establishing a place for Heineken in the hierarchy of beers. "Heineken was the beer that you drink at weddings," McKeon says. "It was limited to certain situations. We needed to make it relevant again and show that the beer not only improves the situation, it elevates the moment." That's evident in a pair of television spots breaking this week, "Housewarming," from the Amsterdam team, and "Shopping," from New York. "Housewarming" shows us disgruntled neighbors in an apartment building responding to thumping music from down the hall, only to find that each has a Heineken and a note on his or her doorstep as an invitation to the party. "Shopping" is the story of a man, a woman and their groceries, all of which complement one another. The wordless flirtation is sealed with a sixpack, presented by the woman. "The beer is the moment of inspiration," says McKeon. "And the person with the beer is more of a genius than everyone else."